| While relieving one of Virginia's Medical Examiners due to a family emergency, Kay, the Chief M.E., encounters more than she bargined for. Her first case proves to be more than an average death. After threats on her life and the murder of a co-worker, Kay learns this death is connected to an organized cult. Marino and Scarpetta are racing to discover what all the clues they found mean before more people have to die. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 40% Special suspect? - chronically deranged person Misc. Murder Plotlets - Big focus on forensic evidence - Big focus on autopsies Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 40 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - an organization Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - power The antagonists are: - cults How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - Mid-Atlantic states Misc setting - scientific labs Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey descriptions deaths/dead bodies A lot of techno jargon? Yes Kind of jargon? - biology/medical Unusual forms of death - poisoning - radiation - perforation--bullets Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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